pessimism
noun
pes路si路mism
| \ 藞pe-s蓹-藢mi-z蓹m also 藞pe-z蓹-
\
\
Definition of pessimism
1
: an inclination to emphasize adverse aspects, conditions, and possibilities or to expect the worst possible outcome
2a
: the doctrine that reality is essentially evil
b
: the doctrine that evil overbalances happiness in life
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Examples of pessimism in a Sentence
Although the economy shows signs of improving, a sense of pessimism remains.
Recent Examples on the Web
Arguably, Ta-Nehisi Coates鈥檚 form of historical pessimism, grown out of the frustration of black-nationalist principles, are another form of rejection. — Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, "The 1619 Project鈥檚 Potted History," 27 Aug. 2019 Your high spirits and upbeat outlook can counteract the pull of pessimism and keep you in forward motion. — Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive.com, "Horoscope for Aug. 22, 2019: Happy birthday Kristen Wiig; Leo, whip up something exciting," 22 Aug. 2019 Takada argued that the market's sudden swings between optimism and pessimism over the trade war resemble the mood swings last decade over how the subprime mortgage crisis would play out. — Matt Egan, CNN, "Remember December? Markets could face another 'bearish black hole'," 7 Aug. 2019 The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.85 percent, its lowest level since 2016, in a sign of economic pessimism. — New York Times, "Spiraling Trade Tensions Threaten Economy as Trump Pressures China," 2 Aug. 2019 However, the letter is an indication that harsher tactics could be around the corner, especially coming on the heels of vocal White House pessimism about virtual currency. — Irina Ivanova, CBS News, "IRS goes after cryptocurrency owners for unpaid taxes," 26 July 2019 Despite their pessimism, the numbers tell a different story of expansion. — Shaan Amin, The New Republic, "Can the Left Win YouTube?," 2 July 2019 Even so, the improvements for black men run counter to the drumbeat of pessimism about race in America. — The Economist, "Black men in America are living almost as long as white men," 14 June 2019 And coupled with a sell-off in December last year, market pessimism is palpable for some investors. — Anne Sraders, Fortune, "Droves of Investors Are Missing the Bull Market鈥擧ere鈥檚 Why," 15 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pessimism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for pessimism
pessimism
noun
English Language Learners Definition of pessimism
: a feeling or belief that bad things will happen in the future : a feeling or belief that what you hope for will not happen
See the full definition for pessimism in the English Language Learners Dictionary
pessimism
noun
pes路si路mism
| \ 藞pe-s蓹-藢mi-z蓹m
\
\
Kids Definition of pessimism
: a feeling or belief that things are usually bad or that bad things will happen
pessimism
noun
pes路si路mism
| \ 藞pes-蓹-藢miz-蓹m also 藞pez-\
Medical Definition of pessimism
: an inclination to emphasize adverse aspects, conditions, and possibilities or to expect the worst possible outcome
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